Antibes: virtual visit of the city

Antibes would have been based in the 5th or in 4th century BC by Phocaeans of Marseille. Antibes was then an episcopal see between the 4th and the 13th century. It is at this time that the episcopal see was transferred to Grasse.

The Grimaldi family, native of Genoa and ally of the Angevins, received the fief of Antibes of the Pope of Avignon in refund of a debt. They became established there towards the end of the 14th century. The Dédition of Nice in the 14th brought a border near Antibes. The efforts of fortifications became intensified during the rivalries between Francois Ier and Charles the Fifth and continued till the end of the administration of Henri IV. At the beginning of the 17th, Henri IV having bought the city to the Grimaldi of Antibes, those settled down in the castle of Cagnes-sur-Mer until the French Revolution.

The dismantling of the fortifications of Antibes began in 19th century to accompany an increasing urbanization. At the end of the 19th, the sea resort of Juan-les-Pins was created. Nowadays, we can visit number of monuments bound to this history. Let us quote, for example, the Fort Carré built in 16th century under Henri II and developed in the end of 17th century under Louis XIV by Vauban and the Castle of Grimaldi (15 and 16th centuries) which shelters nowadays the Picasso museum. The visit of the old town and the ramparts offers a beautiful sight on the cape of Antibes. We can flanner on the covered Provencal market or visit the Peynet museum.

The port Vauban, one of the biggest pleasure ports of Europe, welcomes every spring during the "Sails of Antibes" an important Classic gathering of Yachts in the Mediterranean Sea. Every summer, the Festival of jazz of Juan-les-Pins takes place and fireworks are organized by the biggest artificiers. The World Festival of Underwater Pictures is held in autumn. The visit of the Marineland of Antibes allow, youngs as big, to admire unique entertainments with killer whales, dolphins and sea lions.